


A Soldier goes Marching on

by liliaeth



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Gen, M/M, Redemption, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liliaeth/pseuds/liliaeth
Summary: Jay had a hard time dealing with her guilt after the way she treated her best friend Nile, when Nile somehow didn't die of what should have been a lethal wound. Especially when they were told Nile died in action shortly afterwards. After she leaves the marines, she ends up taking a job at the American holding for Merrick enterprises, unaware that the presence of a certain Dr Kozak is drawing in unwanted attention. Including that of an old friend of Jay's.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Nile Freeman & Jay
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	A Soldier goes Marching on

Jay stared at he empty bunk. Dizzy wouldn’t even look at her. Jay would have screamed at her, but she knew it wasn’t fair, since her anger was aimed as much at herself as it was at Dizzy. And neither would do any good.

Nile would still be gone.

And she had no idea what to do to make up for it.

When Nile had been attacked, it was like the world had ended. She’d been so damn stunned, frozen and stuck because no matter what they’d done, her friend, her sister was lost.

Only she hadn’t been.

It had been freaky and weird, like she’d gotten a monkey paw wish, that could lead to some horrible ending at any second. The look in Nile’s face, her fear as they’d pulled away from her. Jay wished Nile had just punched her, proving it was still really her. Still…

She should have just been happy. Her friend had been alive, seemingly unharmed, she’d been right there. And instead of thanking the lord God for the miracle, they’d turned on her, treated her like crap. And now Nile was gone. Her bag was still there, her stuff, her pictures. That picture of the three of them.

The command was acting weird about Nile’s disappearance. She’d heard the sergeants say something about Nile getting taken to Germany for tests. But wouldn’t Nile have come to get her things first?

Dizzy had packed them up before they even knew she survived. But Nile had simply left them. There were rumors that Nile hadn’t gone with the escort she was supposed to leave with. But they were just rumors and no one was telling anyone anything.

It had been almost a week now, and Nile’s stuff was still there. Still lying on her bed.

Dizzy came in, looking even paler than she usually did.

She sat down on the bed.

“Dizzy?”

“She’s dead. They said word came in she died.”

Jay stared at her.

“Someone took her, and now she’s dead, in action, and it makes no sense. She was ok. It was freaky, and weird, and I was scared. But she was ok. She can’t really be dead, can she?”

And the last memory Nile had of them was them freaking out, and shutting her out.

Jay couldn’t even look at Dizzy, so pissed, at herself, at the world. What had they done? Why hadn’t they protected Nile, stood up for her, what kind of monsters were they?

She knew then and there that she’d never live long enough to forgive herself.

*********  
  


**Three years later.**

Jay pulled on her jacket, still feeling weird to be wearing normal clothes, being in a normal life. There were still days she could feel the heat of a desert sun, or the coarse dust of sand that got into everything. She touched her dogetags and felt grounded, even just for a moment, before she left the room, still aware of everything around her. Whether it was the noise of the streets, or the lack of stars in the sky. The light pollution keeping them from seeing them all.

The sky had been so much clearer in the desert.

She didn’t want to go to work, but then, who did. She still wasn’t used to the new job. It felt weird how after years of active duty, the first job she’d taken was as private security to some major pharmaceutical company. But it was supposed to be good work. Well paid. And they helped protect the company so they could make medication to cure things like cancer.

She’d considered signing up for another tour, but it just hadn’t felt right. Not after how they’d betrayed Nile. Her unit had never felt right after that. Your unit was supposed to be your family, your sisters and brothers out in the field. People you could trust to have your back, and they hadn’t had Nile’s. And because of that, Nile was gone now.

She’d contacted Nile’s Mom when she got home, tried to tell the woman how brave Nile had been, tried to tell her brother how much Nile had missed them. But even then she knew it had been more to ease up her own guilt, rather than to be there for them.

She checked if she needed a haircut, but it didn’t look like it.

She grabbed her jacket and left the building, taking the metro before she arrived at the company. Merrick ncorporated. Security was pretty strict, especially after the CEO in London had been attacked and murdered in his own penthouse. Along with most of his security force. She took the service elevator to the dressing rooms, getting ready for work. The others greeted her, Marty was grabbing his vest and protective gear. It all felt over the top. They were just a bunch of overpaid security guards. But somehow the company felt it was all necessary. So Jay figured she might as well go along with it.

She suited up and got ready. Just another day at the job. She didn’t even bother to stare at the security cameras as she joined the rest of the team. Not knowing that if she had, she’d have seen a familiar face in the lobby. A face that she’d never forget in her life.


End file.
